Sargasso Sea Oceanographic Profiles from SYNOP Experiment 1987-1990

Sargasso Sea measurements of temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were collected as part of the SYNoptic Ocean Prediction (SYNOP) experiment. The dataset contains profiles from multiple cruises conducted between Fall 1987 and Fall 1990, managed by investigators WATTS; DR. D. RANDOLPH and BANE; JOHN M. JR. It is hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and also appears on NASA EarthData, indicating its recognized scientific value.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal and interannual variability of water column properties like temperature and salinity.
• Studying dissolved oxygen distribution and its relation to physical parameters in the Sargasso Sea.
• Validating or initializing regional ocean circulation and prediction models.
• Investigating water mass formation and structure within the SYNOP experiment domain.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a multi-year time range from Fall 1987 to Fall 1990, capturing seasonal cycles.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals peer-reviewed importance and accessibility.
• Measurements include key physical and biogeochemical variables (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen).

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source, limiting technical assessment.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03-01 (a future date suggesting a metadata error), while NASA EarthData lists 1990-09-01.
• The exact data license is unspecified across all platforms.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Measurements collected from ship-based profiles during the SYNoptic Ocean Prediction (SYNOP) experiment.

Time Range

Fall 1987 to Fall 1990

Freshness

1990-09-01 00:00:00

Geography

Sargasso Sea